Device for imparting fluid to rotating rolls



Oct. 23, 1 956 'IE'iled Aug. 29, 1952 H. w. FAEBER 2,767,654

DEVICE FOR IMPARTING FLUID TO ROTATING ROLLS 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.ff/m MK fla /e ATIOIP/VH J Oct. 23, 1956 H. w. FAEB ER DEVICE FORIMPARTING FLUID TO ROTATING ROLLS fFiled Aug. 29-, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

United States Patent DEVICE FOR IMPARTIN G FLUID TO ROTATING ROLLS HarryW. Faeber, Larchmont, N. Y., assignor to Time, Incorporated, New York,N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 29, 1952, Serial No.307,057

2 Claims. (Cl. 101-4259 This invention relates to a method and apparatusfor cleaning rotating rolls, and more particularly, to an apparatus forpreventing lick-off on the impression cylinder of an offset printingpress. The device can also be employed on web lead rolls contacted bythe wet side of the web or on any other roll which is contacted byprinting ink and the like.

In offset printing in which both sides of a paper are printed, theimpression cylinder, i. e. the cylinder over which the web passes and bywhich it is impressed against the printing cylinder, often has inktransferred thereto from a previously printed impression on thecontacting side of the paper web. This condition tends to cause smearingof the printed sheet and is a troublesome factor in many printingoperations.

It is an object of this invention to prevent the smearing of printedpaper in offset printing by largely preventing lick-0d or transfer ofink from the printed sheet to the impression cylinder and removal of anyink from the cylinder which is transferred from the paper. This isaccomplished by cleaning the impression cylinder as it revolves andthereby presenting at all times a clean surface to the printed paperpassing thereover.

The invention will be further illustrated by reference to theaccompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is a view in elevation of the device of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view partly broken away and partly in section takenon line 22 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view partly in section and partly broken awayshowing the manner in which the supporting brackets for the fountain andapplicator rolls are secured to the bed plate of the device.

Referring to Figure 1, a supporting plate 4 is mounted on the frame 6 ofan offset printing press. Mounted on the supporting plate 4 is aslidable bed plate 8 which is mounted for movement in the brackets 10secured to the supporting plate 4 by the bolts 12.

As best shown in Figure 3, a pair of brackets 14 are secured to the bedplate 8 by the bolts 16. Slidably mounted on the bed plate 8 are a pairof brackets 18 which are secured to bed plate 8 by hold-down brackets20. Mounted between the brackets 14 on the bed plate 8 is a pan orfountain 22 which holds a solution of a detergent. Any of the wellknowndetergents may be used, and those which are most efficacious in removingink are preferred. The fountain 22 is retained on the bed plate 8 by thebrackets 24.

lournalled in the brackets 18 is a shaft 26 which supports a fountainroll 28, this roll revolving in the detergent solution in the fountain22 and being driven by a sprocket 30 mounted on the right-hand end ofthe shaft 26, as shown in Figure 1. As best seen in Figure 2, thebrackets 18 have detachable bearing collars 32 secured to the upper endsthereof, these collars being secured to the brackets 18 by the bolts 34.Also, as best seen in Figure 2, the brackets 14 have hinged shafthangers 36 2,767,654 Patented Oct. 23, 1956 mounted on the upper endsthereof. A shaft 38 is journalled in the shaft hangers 36, being held inplace by locking bolts 40 and wing nuts 42. The shaft 38 has anapplicator roll 44 mounted thereon which is covered with a fabric 46such as molleton or any other similar type of material and is freelyrotatable in the brackets 14, being driven by friction from the fountainroll 28. As defined in the Callaway Textile Dictionary (published 1947by the Callaway Mills, LaGrange, Georgia), the

fabric molleton is a double faced fabric of plain or twill weave finishwith a heavy nap on both sides. Thus molleton by virtue of its heavy napis characterized, first, by high absorbency to either cleaning compoundsor to ink traces to be removed by the applicator roll and, second, by aresiliency with respect to frictional contact with the fabric.

The position of the fountain roll 28 relative to the applicator roll 46may be varied by turning the handwheels 48 which are journalled in thebrackets 50 secured to the supporting plate 4. Hand-wheels 48 aresecured to threaded shafts 52 which are threaded into brackets 18, asshown at 54 in Figure 2. When the desired degree of contact between therolls 28 and 46 has been obtained, the entire assembly may then be movedinto contact with the impression roll 56 by turning the hand-wheels 58which are secured to the shafts 60. The shafts 60 are supported by thebrackets 62, secured to the supporting plate 4, and are in threadedengagement with the frame member 6 at 63. Brackets 64 secured to theslidable bed plate 8 are threaded to engage with the cooperating threadson the setscrews 61. When hand-wheels 58 are rotated, the slidable plate8 is caused to move across the supporting plate 4. When the desireddegree of contact of the applicator roll 46 with the impression roll 56is obtained, the assembly may be locked in place by means of setscrews61 which in turn are secured by the lock nuts 66.

The fountain roll 28 is driven by a sprocket wheel 30 on shaft 26, chain68, and a driving sprocket wheel 70. An electric motor 72 drives thesprocket wheel 70 through a variable speed gear reduction drive 74 sothat the speed of the fountain roll may be varied. In practice a speednot exceeding 2 revolutions per minute is found to be satisfactory.

Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, a bifurcated arm 76 is carried bythe bracket 18 on the left-hand side of the device as shown in Figure 1.The arm 76 carries a pivot pin 80 upon which is supported a rocker arm78. A pair of cam followers 82 and 84 are mounted on the ends of therocker arm as shown in Figure 2, these followers riding, respectively,in cam tracks on cams 88 and 86 which are carried by respective shafts38 and 26. Thus it will be seen that the rotation of driven shaft 26imparts a reciprocating motion to the applicator roll 46- through therocker arm 78, this reciprocating motion facilitating the wiping of theimpression roll 56 and improving the cleaning operation.

In operation, the pan or fountain 22 is supplied with a detergentsolution, and the position of the fountain roll 28 is adjusted relativeto the applicator roll 46 by turning the hand-wheels 48, thereby movingbrackets 18 relative to the bed plate 8. When the desired degree ofcontact between the fountain roll 28 and the applicator roll 46 has beenobtained, both rolls may be moved by turning the hand-wheels 58 whichmoves the bed plate 8, and the assembly supported thereby, across thesupporting plate 4 so that any desired degree of contact between theapplicator roll 46 and the impression roll 56 may be obtained.

The electric motor 72 is then energized and by controlling the variablespeed reduction gear drive 74 any desired speed of the fountain roll maybe obtained. As the applicator roll 46 rotates in contact with theimpression roll 56 any ink adhering to the surface of the impressionroll will be removed by the rotating applicator roll 46. The removal ofthe ink is facilitated by the reciprocating motion imparted to theapplicator roll by the rocker arm 78. As the rolls 28 and 46 rotate, thedetergent solution is continuously applied to the surface of theapplicator roll 46 by the fountain roll 28.

The diameters of the fountain roll 28 and applicator roll 46 are notcritical and may be varied over a wide range. However, good results havebeen obtained by making both of these rolls of approximately the samediameter, a diameter of 3 /2 inches for each roll having been found togive excellent results.

It will. be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modificationsmay be made within the scope of the present invention without departing,from the spirit thereof, and the invention is to be restricted only inaccordance with the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for imparting fluid to a rotating roll mounted on a frameand in contact with a web, said apparatus comprising in combination, abed member fixed on said frame, first support means linearly adjustablein position on said bed member towards and away from said web contactingr011, an applicator roll mounted on said first support means, secondsupport means linearly adjustable in position on said first supportmeans towards and away from said applicator roll, a fountain rollmounted on said second support means to have the center thereofsubstantia 1y on the line of centers of said applicator and webcontacting rolls, drive means to rotate said fountain roll, saidapplicator roll being operatively disposed in friction contact with bothsaid web contacting and fountain rolls to be rotated responsive to saidcontacts at a speed giving a slip with said web contacting roll, firstadjusting means mechanically coupled with said first and second supportmeans for positionally setting the latter with respect to the former toproduce a pro-selected amount of contact pressure between saidapplicator and fountain rolls, and second adjusting means mechanicallycoupled with said first support means and said bed member forpositionally setting the former with respect to the latter to produce apie-selected amount of contact pressure between said applicator roll andsaid web contacting roll, the values of the respective contact pressuresbetween said applicator-wiping roll and said other rolls determining thedegree of slip between said web contacting and applicator rolls.

2. Apparatus for imparting fluid to a rotating roll mounted on a frameand in contact with a web, said apable in position on said first supportmeans towards and away from said applicator roll, a fountain rollmounted on said second support means to have the center thereofsubstantially on the line of centers of said applicator and webcontacting rolls, said applicator roll being operatively disposed infriction contact with both said web contacting and fountain rolls to berotated responsive to said contacts at a speed giving a slip with saidweb contacting roll. an electric motor mounted on said second supportteans, variable speed gear reduction drive means mechanically coupledbetween said motor and said fountain roll, said motor and variable drivemeans being adapted to together rotate said fountain roll at a setpro-selected speed below two revolution per minute, the setting of saidspeed determining the amount of fluid metered from said fountain roll tosaid applicator roll, first adjusting means mechanically coupled withsaid first and second support means for positionally setting the latterwith respect to the former to produce a pro-selected amount of contactpressure between said applicator and fountain rolls, and secondadjusting means mechanically coupled with said first support means andsaid bed member for pcsitionally setting the former with respect to thelatter to produce a pro-selected amount of contact pressure between saidapplicator and web contacting rolls, the values of the respectivecontact pressures between said applicator roll and said other rollsdetermining the degree of slip between said web contacting andapplicator rolls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,082,409 Cormack Dec. 23, 1913 1,154,002 Crurnp et al. Sept,-2l,, 19151,377,142 Sabrosky May 3, 1921 1,442,098 Sague Jan. 16, 1923 1,576,598Goulding U Mar. 16, 1926 1,627,774 Goulding May 10, 1927 1,640,235Goulding Aug. 23, 1927 1,973,316 Hormel Sept. 11, 1934 2,027,407 VonWebern Ian. 14, 1936 2,393,992 Kauticld Feb. 5, 1946 2,404,350 CarlsenJuly 23, 1946

